Kolowrat Palace: A Baroque Gem in Prague's Old Town

The Kolowrat Palace, located on Ovocný trh in Prague's Old Town, is a Baroque complex with a rich history. The palace is made up of two Gothic houses; the Kolowrat family purchased the first in 1670 and the second in 1697. The palace's high Baroque reconstruction began in 1670, likely based on a design by Giovanni Domenico Orsi. Reconstruction of the second house started in 1697 and finished in 1725. For centuries, the Kolowrat family, specifically the Kolowrat-Krakowsky line, has played a vital role in Bohemian history, and still owns the palace to this day. The family manages the Kolowratek Endowment Fund, which upholds the family's tradition of patronage. The palace was nationalized around 1948 but was returned to the family following the Velvet Revolution in 1989. Count Jindřich Kolowrat-Krakowsky rented the palace to the National Theatre in 1993 for a symbolic annual amount. The Kolowrat Theatre, a chamber stage of the National Theatre, is located in the palace's attic. Today, only the main, street-facing wing of the original four-winged palace remains. The ground floor retains its early Baroque vaults, while the first-floor rooms feature early Baroque painted wood ceilings. While the interiors are not always open to the public, the Kolowrat Palace is a reminder of Prague's aristocratic heritage and architectural evolution.